Tuesday, January 4, 2011

its 2nd blogversary and a small giveaway

(2013/July/01 This post had been taken down by me with some insignificant reason for some time. I sincerely apologize for your disappointment if you are one of those who came to check the rotary measure and found no post before. It is now here again, even if it is too late...)


I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and a lovely holiday!

I too had a great time while I was away. Lots of traveling and many lovely meetings. Because virtually I was on the journey all through December, I wasn't at home much. Therefore I have nothing to report on sewing particularly. I think you can see in the pictures that I was SO busy, because they prove that I never had a single chance to change my clothes during this period, apparently.

***
In front of The Radcliffe Camera, Oxford.


I visited London for attending a symposium which was held for celebrating my former boss' brilliant career and his recent retirement. I also visited Oxford, for the first time, to see one of my friends too.

In London, I met Helene, aka CarotteSauvage the great hobby seamstress, and we had a great time. We chatted chatted chatted chatted chatted and chatted (you have to read it as "Helene talked interesting stories all the way and Yoshimi chuckled forever with making strange noises." She's so funny, clever, and quick-witted. I know that she doesn't read blogs, but we agreed that this picture should be put in my blog sacrificing its face-less principal.

I went shopping to a gigantic outlet shopping mall (in Japan) with my family too. Hooray, I didn't buy anything for me! (I bought two pieces of clothes for my daughter and that's all.) I have decided not to buy my clothes entire this year.

We visited my parents who live very far from our city too. My mother is my most favorite person in the world and the kindest mum in the universe. She told me that she had just finished making her jacket which she is wearing in the picture. She also said that she embroidered the whole fabric and hand sewed this lined jacket by herself. I suspect she dyed the fabric in indigo blue before embroidering it too. Gosh, she is improving forever. I wouldn't be surprised even if I see flax in her garden next time...

By the way, in case you don't know much about me, I describe myself that I'm just a 40 and a half decade years old very ordinary typical female mad molecular biologist who wore an white hand-knitted hat and an white coat all through December. I happen to be a hobby seamstress too.


****
I started this blog about two years ago. This was one very personal murmuring from the beginning and it still is. Most of the time I have no spectacular blasting or shining originality in my sewing, I have nothing to promote or to sell either, but I hope you can feel through this blog that there is me living somewhere on your same planet and sewing happily and singing (badly) to make her days a bit brighter in her way. I hope the fact that you are not a lonely sewist but you have me as your company makes your hobby merrier.

Thanks all for your visits, I have a small giveaway for celebrating my second blogversary. If you are interested in it, please leave your comment with a link/address with which I can contact you later. The kind seamstresses who don't care about the giveaway but would like to leave comments will have to acquit me of your enforced submissions to the giveaway, please. The giveaway raffle will be closed at 23:00JST on 14/January/2011. You can submit for it as long as the shipping address is on our planet. I'm planning to use the random number generator for choosing one winner but I will change my mind if I find a better way for random drawing. I'll announce the winner soon after the drawing and also send a personal message to her/him. Any questions?



The giveaway prize is "Ma-rusashi" (KAWAGUCHI Co.,Ltd) which is a plastic rotary measure (ruler/curvimeter). It is very handy for measuring curved seams on paper patterns! It has got inch and centimeter notations on each side. The tool is widely available in Japan, but I couldn't find similar tools when I was checking the term for it in English. I guessed that this plastic sewing tool might not be very common in many countries and decided to let you know how much I liked it. Yes, I definitely prefer it to any other measuring tool, especially when I check the length of seams in armholes. Do you already have a similar tool in your tool box? If not, be a lucky one and let me send it to you.

A Happy New Year and Happy Sewing to all of you!



yoshimi

62 comments:

  1. eek i hit the wrong button....

    yoshimi, welcome back!!! it's so good to hear from you again and see your lovely face! i broke my no-face rule this year too :)

    i would love to be a part of your giveaway... you can always find me at my blog if i am so lucky to win. i'm having one at mine too if you like what you see :)

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  2. congrats on your blogiversary! that looks like a very cool sewing tool (and i like your beret too).

    knottygnome@gmail.com

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  3. I enjoyed the pictures of you wearing your one outfit all December :D

    I'd love to be entered in the draw for that very cool and unknown (in Canada) sewing tool!

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  4. Congratulations on your 2 years and thank you for all the inspiration!

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  5. Wow, you have had some amazing travels (and so exciting to finally see your face)! Your mother's jacket is amazing, too.

    I love that little measuring gizmo, I am always trying to fit my measuring tape accurately to the seam line and never quite get it right. Please count me in for your giveaway :) tanitisis@yahoo.com

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  6. I never saw this tool anywhere and would be delighted to win it. Thanks for bringing my attention to some independent japanese pattern makers in 2010 and happy 2nd blogaversary!
    ghainskom at yahoo dot com

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  7. I love reading your blog. That rolling
    measuring device is amazing. If I don't win it I'll have to see where I can get one. Thanks
    for sharing.

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  8. Welcome back & happy new year! Your mother's jacket look amazing - do you have any more pictures of it to share with us? I'd love to see more details. Also, congratulations on your 2nd blogaversary & thanks for the giveaway. I'm at smonakey (at) gmail (dot) com

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  9. I especially enjoyed this post! First, your mother is *amazing*!!! I am in awe of her dedication and talent and, yes, more pictures of her jacket would be great. And you are a molecular biologist? Oh, man, your talents are many!! Finally, I have never seen such a measuring tool, but would love it!
    toofunny2 at gmail dot com

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  10. You have perfectly described the feeling of having blog friends all over the world. Even though we are all far apart, every morning I drink my coffee and meet with my fellow sewers and friends by reading their blogs. And you are not an ordinary hobby sewer, you are an extraordinary and beautifully creative sewer. I enjoyed seeing your mother and her fantastic jacket. Did she teach you to sew?
    That little tool looks great, I would like to try it. You can find me on my blog :)

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  11. Happy new year Yoshimi. Your mother's jacket is great! Also your own white coat and hat, what fun to have such a well traveled favorite garment. I'm Looking forward to your 2011 creations. Please enter me in the draw, I've also not seen a measuring tool like this but it looks very useful.

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  12. I've enjoyed your blog. Happy blog-versary. I've never seen a measuring tool like this before either and would love to win it

    nikole[dot]ross[at]gmail[dot]com

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  13. Yoshimi,
    I have been enjoying your blog for some time now. I love the things you sew and the glimpse of Japan I get! I have learned all sorts of things, too, like about tamanegi kobo. And now I know that we are the same age.
    Happy New Year!

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  14. I've never seen this tool in America. I'd really love to have it. Please enter me in the drawing. I do so much enjoy your blog.

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  15. Welcome back and Happy New Year. You will have to tell us some London stories and some tellable stories from your London friend. No buying clothing for a year? You will be fun to read in 2011. Your mother is quite beautiful and talented too.

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  16. Happy New Year! Your Mum is too cute. I'd love to be part of this giveaway. My email is sdavis05401 at yahoo.

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  17. Happpy New Year, and looks like you had a lovely holiday. Love your Mum's jacket and the hand embroidery is beatufil. I'd love to be part of this giveaway.

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  18. This is a really cool tool. I love discovering tools from all over the world. And it's nice to see a picture of you and your mom. You both look very nice. I'm impressed she worked on that jacket by hand.

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  19. Happy Blogoversary! And we got the honor of seeing your pretty face. Glad you enjoyed all of your travels. Your mother has quite the sewing skills (I see where you get yours from)! Please enter me in the Giveaway!

    Congrats again!

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  20. Actually, could I borrow your mum for a year or so? (Now that we know where you get your awesome creative talent from!) Oh I guess I would need you too, to translate for me. :-)

    "I hope the fact that you are not a lonely sewist but you have me as your company makes your hobby merrier."

    Yes, yes, and yes! I know no-one else who sews and there are very few sewing blogs with clothing I would actually wear, let alone drool over. I LOVE YOUR BLOG.

    I should be giving away something to YOU.

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  21. I am so glad you had a lovely visit, and that you have come back to us! It sounds like you had a wonderful time. Your mum's jacket is beautiful, I can see how she inspires you! That looks like a very handy sewing gadget, and I have never seen one in the English speaking world either. Please enter me in the drawing, t r e n a . b at g m a i l (with no spaces).

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  22. Hello! I just started to read your blog a few months ago and I love it! The patterns you use I've already shared with several of my friends and students in my Pattern Drafting fashion classes. That tool you are giving away would be such a huge help to me, I hadn't seen anything like that in the US. Congrats on your blog's success!
    mine is www.tornangel.blogspot.com
    and my e.mail is esther(dot)m(dot)chung@gmail(dot)com

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  23. Kombawa Yoshimi san
    (hope my japanese is not too rusty!)

    I've been reading your blog for a while now and I am always amazed at the elegance of the garments you make.
    Did you like Oxford? I've been living here for a few years now and it is a lovely city indeed. I am a molecular biologist like you, working at the University.
    I would love to enter the givaway for the measuring tool, it is unique indeed!

    Thank you for your lovely blog :)

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  24. Happy blogoversay! I feel very lucky to have been able to follow along on your blog. I've been most inspired by your sewing. Maybe even lucky enough to win your drawing for that clever little tool. Please enter me in the drawing. vtgrad(at)me(dot)com

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  25. Wow, that is a super-cool tool; I've never seen one before and will keep my fingers crossed that I win! Congrats on your two years of blogging - I always enjoy reading and seeing your unique style even though I don't comment often. [ltscharp at gmail]

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  26. Happy blogoversary, Yoshimi. Love you blog! I could have used that rotary measuring tool this afternoon to measure the circumference of neckline for binding. Wow! I would certainly LOVE to win that handy tool! Thanks for offering it. lburkhard (at) gmail dot com.

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  27. Happy Blogoversary Yoshimi!! Super cool tool!!

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  28. I do so heart sewing notions! Please enter me in your "Happy Blogversary" drawing! Thanks!!!

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  29. I'm never very good at commenting, but I love seeing your creations - they're so elegant! While our styles are mostly different, I find your work inspiring. Congrats on two years of blogging!

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  30. Hello!

    I have been following you since the beginning of this year. What a wonderful holiday and Happy Anniversary!

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  31. Happy anniversary! and thank you for the opportunity!

    Rose in SV

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  32. Happy blogversary Yoshimi!
    YOur mother's jacket is very beautiful, such a work of art. Embroidered the fabric TOO? Totally fabulous... I can see where you get some of your talent from!
    I'm glad you had such a wonderful holiday. And I'm looking forward to our meeting soon in Tokyo.

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  33. Wow, i was just joking with my mum the other day that it would be so much easier to measure curves if they made a mini version of the wheels we used at primary school to measure distances in metres. I can't believe they actually exist, how cool!
    (Oh, and i love reading your blog too, you have some great ideas!)

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  34. Happy anniversary!
    I love reading your blog, you're so talented and inspiring.
    I'm looking forward to see all the beautiful clothes you'll create in 2011.

    Blanche from Canada

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  35. Happy Blog-iversary Yoshimi!
    Thank you for sharing this giveaway with all your readers. I've been looking at options for one of those measuring gadgets here in the UK (I think that "Mini Trundle Wheel" is another name for that type of device?). I'd be one lucky lady if may name got choosen (my email is
    sew[dot]incidentally[at]yahoo[dot]com).

    Would you mind telling us which shop you ordered it from please? I'v tried to search Google for "Ma-rusashi" (KAWAGUCHI Co.,Ltd) which is a plastic rotary measure (ruler/curvimeter) and came up with nothing :( Maybe you should buy loads and sell them internationally on eBay / Etsy - you'd make a lot of sewists around the world very happy :) !

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  36. Yoshimi -- congratulations on the second anniversary of your blog. Please keep it up -- your sewing is so inspiring to me, and I am sure many others around the world, and I love reading your blog.
    Happy New Year!

    Best regards,
    Olga

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  37. Congrats on the blogiversary! Your blog is very inspiring. I would love to be entered in the giveaway!


    www.uglycutedesigns.blogspot.com

    rofishman (at) gmail (dot) com\

    Thanks,

    Rebecca

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  38. Congratulations on the second aniversary of your blog!!!!

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  39. Happy Blogiversary. I've never seen that handy tool, either. What a great addition to my basket.

    I have no website.

    Patti

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  40. What an interesting sewing tool. I would love to win one. It would be perfect for measuring arm holes and sleeve ease

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  41. What a cool tool! Happy Blogiversary and so glad we got to see your face. ^__^ Coundt me in for the giveaway, too. Thanks so much!

    ang[dot]m[dot]so[at]gmail[dot]com

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  42. It it very exciting to see your smiling face! I adore your blog and all the inspiration I get from reading it. You are an amazing seamstress..keep up the good work! I also would love to be entered in for the giveaway..
    thank you :)

    ca4ws(at)yahoo(dot)com

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  43. Cute tool and happy 2 years. Your work always makes me smile. erinnb(at)hotmail(dot)com

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  44. What a cool ruler! I could've used one of those last week, as I measured the sleeve cap of a pattern and the corresponding length on the armscye so I could reduce he gargantuan sleeve cap ease! Much easier than twisting a bendy ruler round all those tight curves!

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  45. That looks like an amazing tool! I've really been struggling with measuring curves- that looks perfect! I love your blog- and all of the wonderful outfits you make!

    (lesthor@gmail.com)

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  46. Hi, Yoshimi! Congratulations on your blogiversary, and thank you for the giveaway! I am a former molecular biologist, coincidentally - but I left research after my postdoc and now am a medical editor.

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  47. I forgot to mention - you can get something similar to your sewing notion if you look for map measuring tools. These usually have a wheel or roller ball that you use to trace a route on the map, most will tell you how many inches or cm that you have rolled, many can even convert to miles or km if you set it to whatever the map scale is showing. I never thought to use one as a sewing tool, though! Clever!

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  48. Thank you for the lovely summary! I started reading your blog several months ago, so it was very informative.
    Your whole family seems amazingly talented and productive! Your projects are always lovely and inspiring and the jacket your mother made is very impressive.
    Happy new year!

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  49. Congratulations on your blogs birthday :) I would love to be entered in your giveaway, it looks such a wonderful tool!

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  50. happy blogiversary! i always enjoy following along on your crafting adventures :).

    snowmanscraps // gmail

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  51. Yoshimi,
    Congratulations on your 2nd blogiversary! I enjoy seeing all your lovely creations...very inspiring. Keep up the great work.
    Thank you for information on such great Japanese sewing pattern sites.
    Would love to be entered in your giveaway.
    (magicsew@aol.com)

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  52. Yoshimi,

    Happy New Year!!! I love your blog, congrats on your 2nd anniversary.

    I would love to have this ruler!!! I agree with Claire, she said you should buy a lot of these rulers and sell them on etsy or ebay.

    Thanks for the heads up to the sale at Tamanegi-Kobo, you saved me a lot of money!!!

    Best wishes

    locosewer@yahoo.com

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  53. Hi Yoshimi, I love your blog so much, your creations so inspiring, all the pictures so lovely (and your shoes... killing me).
    Wow.. this ruler so tempting... so glad I could enter this giveaway :)

    meutiachan (at)yahoo (dot) com

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  54. Happy Blog-versery! What an awesome tool you've picked for your give-away. I have never seen anything like it here in Canada. Which is sad because it's a great idea!

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  55. Happy Blog-versery!
    Looks like a great tool, I have never seen anything like it in the States.
    Ola
    rostanto(at)msu(dot)edu

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  56. One of the admirer of you and your blog, Yasuko who just began sewing at your mother's
    age hopes to have the giveaway. If she win it
    fortunately, will keep it as a treasure through her sewing life.

    nori101228@tenor.ocn.ne.jp

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  57. Yes, I would like to enter your giveaway. I like visiting your blog. I myself am an admirer of your sewing skills, keep amazing. All you do amazes me.

    linda
    lindanjd@coastal-link.net

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  58. Happy New Year!! I would love to be entered in your giveaway! What a great tool!! Thank you!!

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  59. CONGRATULATIONS of your 2nd year.
    I love that tool. If I don't win, can you post a link where you can order one in Japan?
    Happy sewing,
    Kathy

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  60. What a cool tool! I'd like to find one here in the U.S.

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  61. Judging from your mother's lovely and intricate sashiko work, I'd say your sewing skills definitely run in the family.
    Have a happy 2nd blogversary and a happy new sewing year!

    Jen

    My contact for the giveaway:
    jenma_chan@hotmail.com

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  62. Thank you! This giveaway has been closed.

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Thank you for your comments!!